


Catch You, Catch Me

by spirithorse



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Clamp AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-13 19:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13577805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: These might not be the Shepherd Cards or even the Seraph Cards, but he was sure that she was still guardian over them, just like he was still the one to control them. Or so he hoped. He didn’t think the hooded figure in his dreams would be the better alternative, especially since the key had kept trying to go back to him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Cardcaptor Sakura has been giving me feels, so this is how I deal with them. By writing them out and giving them to other people. Title taken from Catch You Catch Me.
> 
> Dedicated to all of my friends who are suffering through CCS with me this season.

Mikleo twirled the staff in his hands, pivoting as he did so to avoid the slash of the wind. He turned his head to watch it cut through the pavement, huffing when the motion threw his hair into his face. He tossed his head back, cursing when it didn’t work. He had to let go of his staff to push his hair back, Mikleo wincing when the end knocked against his knee. He thought he heard Edna chuckle from behind him.

He wanted to turn around and snap at her, because it was all different. He wasn’t a ten year old anymore, and his staff wasn’t the same. It wasn’t how it had been when the Shepherd Cards had been first released, nor was it the same as the one that he’d used to remake them all into Seraph Cards. The first had been a clunky thing in teal and white and the second had ended in nearly a full circle with a gem in the middle. The gem was still there in the new one, but it was surrounded by gold, something that almost looked like a crown.

Mikleo flicked his gaze over to it before shaking his head. He reached back to roughly shove his hair back out of the way. With the dreams starting and the cards turning clear, it was time to cut it again. He couldn’t be chasing after everything that the new cards would be with his hair in his face. And especially not as soon as Lailah got wind of it. She might have been helpful before, but if she was going to be putting him into those outfits again he would need all the advantages that he could get. Lace, frills and long hair would just get in his way. He wasn’t short and compact like he had been at ten. He was seventeen now, and lanky. He had thought that it would give him the advantage, but now he could see he was lanky in a bad way.

He stumbled back a step, holding his staff out in front of him as he looked around. “Edna…”

“Don’t look at me, I can’t sense anything.”

“I thought you were supposed to be a guardian!”

“It’s hard to guard clear things.”

Mikleo rolled his eyes, not bothering to look back at the lioness. He was sure that she would just be lounging, and he would be annoyed. Edna was helpful in her own way, but he had hoped that she would do more than laze on the fallen tree. These might not be the Shepherd Cards or even the Seraph Cards, but he was sure that she was still guardian over them, just like he was still the one to control them. Or so he hoped. He didn’t think the hooded figure in his dreams would be the better alternative, especially since the key had kept trying to go back to him.

Mikleo gritted his teeth, feeling his hair start to get tossed around again. Whatever force was doing it was coming closer, and he was running out of patience. The other schools would be getting out of school soon, and he couldn’t imagine any of the kids running into this, especially the elementary schoolers. Mikleo ignored the thought that he had once been one of those kids running towards the danger. But he was different. He’d been chosen, either through his own fumbling or destiny. That had to count for something.

He rolled his shoulders before bringing the staff up in front of him. “Ready?”

“If you must.”

There was a soft thump as Edna dropped off the log, Mikleo getting a glimpse of the lioness as she came around to his side. Edna hunkered down, ready to spring. Mikleo just hoped that it wouldn’t come to that, because it meant that he would be picking himself out of one of the trees.

He braced himself, the familiar words of the incantation coming to him. It might have been seven years, but it was the wrong thing. This wasn’t the Seraph key, so it wouldn’t be the same.

Mikleo frowned, his mouth working over the first word of the old incantation before he cut himself off. His gaze flickered to where the branches of the trees were starting to whip again. He bent his knees, taking a few deep breaths before stumbling into an incantation that he hoped would work. The staff was still unfamiliar, as unfamiliar as his own power had started to feel over the past two years.

“Force without master, heed the power of my staff of dreams.” He watched for the wind to rush at him again before bringing down the staff. Mikleo felt it impact, the gem at the center glowing brightly. Mikleo stared at it for a moment before he shook himself out of his shock. “Secure!”

The gem flashed, Mikleo jerking his head back as crystals formed at the point of impact. They clustered together in a thick bunch, the crystals growing back towards him. Mikleo shifted his hold on the staff, slowly backing down the length of it as the crystals continued to grow. He heard Edna growl from beside him, the lioness backing away too.

They didn’t have to go so far before the crystals shattered, Mikleo expecting the pieces to cut through him, but they just pattered harmlessly away. He looked down at where one had landed on his sleeve, but it disappeared.

He turned his attention back to the head of his staff, watching as a card floated down. Mikleo stared at it for a moment before pulling his staff back.

Mikleo reached out for the card, staring at it as settled into his fingers. He halfway expected it to be something different, especially since all of the Seraph Cards had gone clear, but it felt like the others. He stared at the card, tipping his head to the side. It looked just like the other cards, save for where the illustration wasn’t. That was clear all the way through and he could see his fingers on the other side. Mikleo flipped the card, his eyes widening when he saw the design on the back. It looked like the Shepherd and Seraph cards had, the design of arcane symbols slightly different. The Shepherd Cards had had a strange “v” and moon shaped design while the Seraph Cards had had a bow surrounded by leaping fish. This one just had a diamond with one half colored in. Where the design wasn’t he could see his fingers again.

He turned to look back at Edna, watching as the lioness’ form flickered before Edna turned back into her human form.

She stared at the card, the only sign that she was nervous was the way that she spun her umbrella. Mikleo watched it turn, not daring to speak until Edna shook her head. “I don’t know what to make of it.”

“Me neither.”

“Then we talk to Lailah.” Edna tapped her umbrella against her shoulder. “If we go now, she should be done baking.”

Mikleo sighed, letting go of the staff. It hovered in the air for a moment before shrinking back down into a delicate bracelet. Mikleo stared at it for a moment before reaching out and grabbing it from where it was hovering. Now that it was shrunk down it looked more like a tiny crown, more like something that Lailah would wear in her hair. A tiny crown in the form of a bracelet. Mikleo made a face before slipping it on. He was used to the keys being small things that he could hide. The other two had been keychains. If anyone saw this, they would think it was a present from Sorey.

He blushed at the thought, reaching out to touch the bracelet. He touched the gem at the center, smiling down at it.

He’d been getting things from Sorey in the years that Sorey had been away, all kinds of interesting things. There had been the set of books of legends, painted stones from a country that Mikleo hadn’t been able to find on the map, a stuffed animal of a black bunny-like creature with a blue gem in its forehead and earring and a strange white feather with pink markings. Mikleo was sure that he had seen the latter glowing a few times, but just looking at it made him feel happy.

Mikleo adjusted the bracelet with a smile, jerking his hand away when Edna jabbed her umbrella into him. He twisted to look at her, hissing as she wiggled the tip further into his side. “Wipe that look off your face, Meebo. It’s disgusting. The whole world doesn’t need to know you’re thinking about your boy.”

“I-” He cut himself off as Edna raised her eyebrow. Mikleo held her gaze for a moment before shaking his head. “I’ll stop doing it if you stop thinking with your stomach.”

Edna gave him another jab before she withdrew her umbrella. She pressed the point against the ground, giving him a long look. “I do not. A lady looks after her health after all. And it’s been far too long since lunchtime. We might as well kill two birds with one stone, an explanation for all of this and food.”

Mikleo glanced down the street before shaking his head. He flicked the card in Edna’s direction, watching as she caught it. “You go. I promised my uncle I would be home early today.”

Edna gave him a long look before nodding. “Alright, play catch up with your uncle. The two of you hardly see each other as it is.” She made a vague motion with the hand that held the card. “Go on. You can use the extra time to moon over that teddy bear of yours. I swear, if I have to watch you nuzzle that thing good morning one more time….”

Mikleo blushed bright red, looking away. He fumbled with an excuse, but he knew that it was too late when Edna laughed. He turned slightly to look at her, watching as she gave him a lazy wave before setting off in the direction of Lailah’s house.

Mikleo watched her go, playing with the bracelet around his wrist. He waited until Edna was out of the park before turning and starting to head back to his house.

His uncle would be home later, but it was his turn to make dinner and Michael had said something about discussing his next sabbatical trip. Mikleo had been on a few of them now, more so when the madness from the cards had calmed down. He had been looking forward to the next one, but he doubted that he would be able to go, especially with the cards acting up again. He wouldn’t be able to tell his uncle that, but Mikleo was sure that he would be able to come up with something. He’d kept Michael from finding out about the cards and his activities before, but Mikleo wasn’t sure if that had been luck or because Michael could get a bit scattered brained. Either way, it kept his uncle out of the worst of it. Mikleo was grateful for that. He’d been in plenty of dangerous situations, ones that would have given Michael heart attacks.

Mikleo sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. At least he would have the time to try and make headway on the problem of the cards. He’d been through them all once when it had first happened but maybe, now that he had gotten one of them back, the others would show up. Or maybe he could figure out something new. If all else failed, he could try falling asleep. The dreams were annoying and frightening, but at least he could glean information from them. Often it was the only way to get information. Lailah helped where she could, but there were all kinds of spells and oaths that bound her and her riddles were often too complicated and nonsensical to pick apart.

In any case, he would have to tell Rose. Mikleo winced at the thought. Rose was helpful, as was the guardian that slept in her, but he wasn’t ready for her enthusiasm. She had been bored by life after the cards were settled, while Mikleo had been more than ready for it to end. It was a lot to deal with without a break, and Mikleo had been more than ready for one. Maybe not a seven year one, but maybe one of a few months, maybe just enough to distract him from the fact that Sorey had been leaving.

He reached down to grab at the bracelet, covering it with his hand as he walked out of the park and onto the street. Mikleo took a deep breath, trying to push past the immediate ache that always came with the thought. He and Sorey were still talking with each other, but the years seemed to have stretched into eternities, and their conversations seemed to always be too short for the week that stretched between them. The next one was tomorrow, and Mikleo was sure that he would scream if a card kept him from it.

Mikleo sighed, tipping his chin up to look at the trees in bloom along the roadway. The sakura were beautiful. He’d seem them coming into bloom, but he’d thought the card’s winds would have ruined them. But they were still there. Mikleo smiled and reached up to touch one of the petals. He’d have to take a picture to share with Sorey. He was sure that Sorey would like that. Then again, Sorey had never been anything but excited to see what was going on. It was obvious that Sorey missed everything, but he still kept saying that he couldn’t come back, that he was busy. It was almost enough to make him wonder if Sorey was ever coming back.

He stopped, closing his eyes. It was a thought that he tried to ignore, because Sorey had always said that he was coming back as soon as he was done. Apparently, they had both underestimated the time that it would take.

Mikleo reached for the bracelet again, squeezing it to reassure himself that it was still there. At least he had something to keep him occupied until that day. The trouble with the cards was good for that at least.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The breath caught in his throat as he saw someone standing just two trees down. Mikleo couldn’t do anything but stare, because the person there was the last one that he expected. The last time the two of them had talked, they had said that they were far away, so far away that Mikleo hadn’t recognized the name of the country. It seemed impossible, but maybe he was used to that kind of impossible.

And none of that really mattered at all, not when he was there.

Mikleo rushed forward, barely giving Sorey the time to hold out his arms before he was crashing into him. The two of them spun around in a hug, Mikleo hearing Sorey laugh as he was squeezed tight. Mikleo smiled, nuzzling his face into Sorey’s chest.

That Sorey was solid was a good thing, it meant that none of this was a dream. He was really there and back where he belonged. He was real and solid.

Very solid.

Mikleo stopped his nuzzling, his eyes going wide. They’d talked over e-mail or over the phone. He hadn’t seen Sorey in seven years, so he’d always pictured Sorey as he remembered him at ten. It was a silly thing to think now that he was confronted with reality. After all, he’d changed in the seven years that had passed. Sorey was bound to have changed as well. Mikleo had just never expected them to come like this.

He swallowed and pushed away slightly, suddenly aware of the muscles that his hand was resting on and the steady presence of Sorey’s arms around him. Mikleo glanced to the side, licking his lips. Sorey had certainly grown, and he was not opposed to it, save for the few inches that Sorey seemed to have put on over him.

Mikleo tipped his head up to meet Sorey’s gaze. He wasn’t about to linger over that change in height, not when Sorey was smiling wide at him. There was no point in holding back his own grin, Mikleo allowing himself to be drawn closer to Sorey.

Sorey chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. “Surprise.”

“It is.” Mikleo let his head fall to Sorey’s shoulder, some part of him adjusting to Sorey’s growth spurt, because it meant that he could rest his head on Sorey’s shoulder. It was comfortable and something that he could get used to. He smiled up at Sorey, confused at why Sorey twisted slightly to look at him. It shouldn’t have taken more than Sorey turning his head, but it was like Sorey was having trouble seeing him where he was tucked up against Sorey’s right side.

Mikleo frowned and reached up to touch Sorey’s cheek, rubbing his thumb under Sorey’s eye. Something wasn’t right about it, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

He didn’t get too long to think about it before Sorey reached up to take his hand. Mikleo swallowed, feeling warmth flood his entire body as Sorey slotted their fingers together. Mikleo relaxed back into Sorey, watching as Sorey stared at their joined hands.

It took Sorey a moment to look back to him, the strangeness about Sorey’s right eye coming back to his attention.  Mikleo stared at it long enough for Sorey to clear his throat. “Sorry, I’m a bit jet lagged.”

Mikleo huffed. “Why didn’t you go home?”

Sorey shrugged, giving him a sheepish smile. “I wanted to see you as soon as possible. Things took…longer than usual.”

Mikleo shook his head, giving into the urge to nuzzle closer again. It was nice to be in Sorey’s arms. It was nice to have his best friend back, even though he was being ridiculous. Mikleo rolled his eyes, belatedly realized what he was doing. He cleared his throat and lifted his head. “If you’re going to be that way, come to my place. I’m making dinner and Uncle Michael will be happy to see you.” Mikleo grinned at him before reaching down to dig his fingers into Sorey’s side. “If you behave I’ll let you nap in my-”

His mouth went dry before he could finish the sentence. Before Sorey in his bed hadn’t been a big deal. It still wasn’t a big deal. They had been friends since they were ten. There had been plenty of times that Sorey had slept over and in his own bed. It _shouldn’t_ have been a big deal. But that had been before. Before all of the strangeness of puberty and his own magic sitting strangely on him. Before all of the strange dreams. That was before Sorey had come back looking grown up.

It still should mean nothing, but that didn’t stop him from blushing.

He could tell that Sorey noticed by the way that Sorey tipped his head, but he ignored it. Mikleo just pulled away, nodding up the road. “Come on, before you collapse.”

“Mikleo…” For a moment, Mikleo was afraid that Sorey would comment on everything strange between them. But Sorey just smiled and reached out to take Mikleo’s hand. “You haven’t changed at all.”

“I should hope not.” Mikleo tipped his chin up, squeezing Sorey’s hand. “Come on, you owe me a lot of stories.”

“I do, don’t I.” Sorey chuckled, the sound lower than what Mikleo was used to.

He shivered, but it down as something to ignore for the moment. He wasn’t going to let all the strangeness keep him from being close to Sorey. He’d been waiting for this moment for seven years and he was not about to let it slip by.

Mikleo slotted their fingers together, holding onto him tightly as they walked down the street.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorey sunk gingerly into the chair behind the front desk. He half expected his joints to groan and stick, and it always amazed him that they didn't. Sorey sighed, looking further back into the house. He could hear voices, probably Lailah and her next customer. He had heard Lailah welcoming them in while he had been cleaning one of the rooms. They hadn’t been close enough for Sorey to hear the initial conversation. It was probably for the usual.

Lailah was well known for her ability to help people. For the right price, she would even grant wishes. Sorey had heard plenty about how everyone thought that her prices were strange. For regrowing hair, it could be a favorite shirt or blanket. For a chance at love it could be the way they saw themselves. They were all bargain deals that didn’t mean anything to them at the moment, but meant everything in the course of the granting. Sorey knew that better than most people, he was the product of two of them now.

His mother had come in to Lailah to beg for his health as a child. The price had been him, although Lailah had delayed the price. Sorey wasn’t sure if she had known that his mother would die of future complications and his grandfather would die three years later. He’d asked her once and she’d gotten a sad expression on her face. Even after knowing her for as long as he had Sorey didn’t know the extent of her power. Lailah was bound up in oaths and promises that she wouldn’t talk to him about. Sorey had learned to take all of that in stride, because it was just the way she was. When she wasn’t stuck within the bounds of her oaths, Lailah was a cheery woman; warm and welcoming with a penchant for anything with a curl. She had never treated him as anything other than a part of her family, something that Sorey was grateful for.

Sorey tipped his head to the side, listening to the consultation for a little while longer before sighing and stretching out on the front desk. Every part of him ached far more than his seventeen years. It wasn’t always like that, but he had his bad days. Today was one of them, he had known it as soon as he had woken up and struggled to remember how to breathe.

He reached up to rub at his throat, staring at the wall across from him. He closed his right eye, pressing that side of his face harder against the desk. It didn’t matter, he couldn’t see out of that eye anyway. He hadn’t been able to since that one world. The name had slipped through his mind because he had jumped through so many over seven years that they had all merged together. Sorey almost regretted it, because it would have been something amazing, but he’d only remembered enough to tell Mikleo about and to find something to send back. That and find the things he had been sent after.

Sorey closed his good eye, the list coming easily to mind. He shook his head, pushing it away. He didn’t need it anymore. He was back now, and as strong as he needed to be, minus his eye, but he was working on that too. Rose and Alisha were helping with that, and were chasing after the new cards. He had forgotten how much he had missed it.

He had forgotten a lot of things in the seven hundred years he had been away.

Sorey sucked in a quick breath, curling his fingers into the wood of the desk.

It had been seven years. **_SEVEN_**. He had to remember that, to hold onto that. If he slipped then there would be more questions that he would be willing to answer. More than he knew how to answer.

Sorey sat up and dragged a hand down his face. It helped, because it reminded him that he was there. He wasn’t a vague collection of memories and power that held a seal together, he was Sorey.

He was Lailah’s assistant.

He was Selene’s son.

He was Mikleo’s friend.

He was in love with Mikleo.

He wasn’t a seal.

He was real and there. And, because he had allowed himself to remain that way for seven hundred years, he had given Mikleo a fighting chance.

Sorey breathed out a long sigh and leaned back in the chair. He sunk into it, closing his eyes. It had been worth it. Even if it had been torture going in and coming back to himself, it had been worth it. All of the evil and terror that Lailah had seen wouldn’t come to pass. Innominat would rise to try and claim the fragments of his power. He had started to, but he wouldn’t be able to carry it out, at least not as easily. The seal was strong, Sorey had made sure of that with his time held there. Better yet, Mikleo had a way to fight back and exhort his control over the cards that were rightfully his. He had worked so hard to collect them twice over, it would be a shame for all of that to be for nothing.

It would be deadly for it to be.

Sorey swallowed, feeling himself shake. Being a seal hadn’t been a passive thing. Despite being the second line of defense he’d been close enough to be in range. He might not have been a physical being, but his mind had been there, and it had been open to attack.

Seven years had not been enough to erase the seven hundred years of Innominat showing him what he would do to the world once he broke free. What he would do to all of Sorey’s friends.

To Mikleo.

He shivered violently, trying to chase away the images, but they were there, burned into his mind. Of all the things he wished he could have forgotten, the many ways Innominat wanted to kill Mikleo was the top thing.

Sorey took deep breaths, trying to chase the images away. Lailah’s patient coaching in meditation had been helpful, but they could only go so far, and now was not the time to lash out, either purposefully or accidentally. He practically set his ceiling on fire from his lightening too many times. He was in the front room, and Lailah had a guest.

He bit his lip, trying to fight back the shaking. It was a losing battle, but he had to try.

If he couldn’t do this, then how could he expect to fight by Mikleo’s side?

The sound of someone walking down the hall was a welcome distraction. Sorey opened his eyes, ready to thank the customer for coming and go through the usual pattern only to find Lailah standing on the other side of the desk.

He gave her a shaky smile, not bothering to hide what had happened. There was no point to it. She had seen him at his worst and his best, and Lailah only wanted to help. At this point, Sorey would take anything. Staying away hadn’t helped, although it had helped him adjust back to using his powers, at least until he’d hurt his eye. Staying with Mikleo hadn’t quite helped either, because now he had more fodder for the nightmares.

Sorey ran his hand down his face before looking up at Lailah again. “They’re not going away.”

“I know.”

“I nearly called him at two in the morning to check that he was still alive.”

“I know.” Lailah came around to lean back against the edge of the desk.

“I want to run.”

From the way her eyes widened, Lailah hadn’t been expecting that. She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. “He’s going to be alright. You’ve given him the best chance to fight against what Innominat is doing. No one else got this far. Most sealed the cards and their memories away. None of them had someone like you.”

Sorey gave her a weary smile. “Mikleo is too stubborn to give up. As much as he complains, he enjoys this.”

“You know him very well.”

“I’ve known him a long time. Seven hundred and nine years.” Sorey flinched, dropping his gaze. “N-nine years.”

“Oh Sorey…” Lailah reached over to pat his arm. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I knew the price.”

“Even still, you mean the world to me. And I wish there was something more I could do.” She leaned forward to card her fingers through his hair.

Sorey sighed and leaned into the touch. Lailah seemed perfectly content to keep going, Sorey smiling when he heard her humming. It was something that she had done when he was a child. It was familiar and relaxing. Sorey scooted his chair closer, hearing Lailah laugh.  She continued on, Sorey drifting closer to sleep.

It had been a while since he’d gotten a night of uninterrupted sleep. The last he could remember was when he had come back and finally stayed, and he had spent the night at Mikleo’s house. It had been accidental, but he’d been exhausted and Mikleo’s bed had been comfortable and familiar that he hadn’t been able to help himself. And it had been worth it to wake up to Mikleo’s soft smile. He had missed it badly in his time away. He’d missed a lot of things.

He opened his eyes as Lailah lifted her hand away. She smiled at him, leaning back on the desk. Lailah studied him for a moment before shaking her head. “Your burdens don’t have to be yours alone. Sharing the weight makes them lighter.”

Sorey gave her a smile. “How much is that piece of advice?”

“Free, for my favorite customer.” She leaned in to kiss his forehead before hopping off the counter. Lailah straightened out her jacket, opening her mouth like she was about to say something when Sorey’s phone went off.

Sorey gave her a sheepish smile, watching as Lailah laughed and gave him a lazy wave. “Go on. Play with your friends. I can handle things here.”

He knew better to ask how she knew, Lailah’s methods were varied and many. That didn’t stop him from glancing at the appointment book.

Lailah reached out to shut the book, giving him a serious look. “Go, Sorey. Your price as never your life, it was your time. You paid it, and now your time is yours. Go.”

Sorey nodded, fumbling in his pocket for his phone. He pulled it out as he slipped from behind his desk, answering the phone as he walked out of the shop. “Hey Mikleo. Is it another card?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saw the episodes about the record card and my mind went in a very strange direction.

Sorey hadn’t changed since he’d been away, something that Mikleo was glad of. He had spent those years worrying that his best friend would have changed so much that Mikleo wouldn’t recognize him or he would be his friend anymore. That Sorey wouldn’t love him anymore. But he had been wrong and Mikleo was relieved.

The two of them had fallen back into their old patterns easily, like it had been the span of a night rather than seven years. It felt like something sliding into place, like coming home. And Mikleo was relieved that nothing had changed.

Almost nothing.

Their card chases were completely different now.

Before they would have chased down the card, trudged back to Mikleo’s house, grabbed a snack, took turns in the bath, dutifully hung up the costumes Lailah made for them before either starting on their homework or collapsing into Mikleo’s bed for a nap.

The pattern had changed slightly. They still trudged back to Mikleo’s house, but the snack and bath had been traded for something else. Something fulfilling in a different way.

Mikleo wiggled back onto his bed, settling more comfortably on it as he watched Sorey. Sorey wasn’t too far behind. He just paused long enough to strip off his jacket and shirt in a series of jerky movement before clambering after Mikleo.

Mikleo entertained the thought of tugging off his shirt, but then Sorey was over him and it was more important to reach up to pull Sorey down onto him. Sorey went without a complaint, going back to what had occupied him since they had stumbled into Mikleo’s house and determined that no one else was home. Sorey gave Mikleo a few light, teasing pecks on the lips before getting down to business and kissing him long and slow.

Mikleo groaned and smoothed his hands down Sorey’s back, letting them drift up and down. He supposed that it was calming, but Mikleo didn’t care, he just wanted to keep touching Sorey. It was a kind of frenzy that drove him after each successful capture.

It started out simple enough, the two of them grabbing at each other to make sure that they were both okay. It didn’t matter that they had been doing this since they were ten, it was instinct to check. From there, it was natural to hold hands because they had been doing that just as long. Sorey was been the one to introduce wrapping his arm around Mikleo’s waist, a comfortable but intoxicating temptation. It was getting harder and harder to resist, especially when Mikleo could see no reason not to.

Sorey felt good pressed against him. It felt good to kissing him and being kissed in return. It felt good to coax soft sounds and shivers from Sorey. It was even better now that no one was home. That meant that he didn’t have to hold himself back.

The house had thin walls, something he had learned when Rose and Alisha had started dating and when he had first hit puberty. It had been particularly embarrassing to explain to Uncle Michael just what he had been doing. It had been better to bite his lip and teach himself to be quiet.  But there was no reason now, and it was so good.

Mikleo moaned into Sorey’s mouth, lifting one hand to comb through Sorey’s hair. He tugged lightly at the strands, feeling Sorey arch against him, grinding their hips together.

The motion startled another moan out of him, Mikleo clutching at Sorey as he pulled away. Mikleo shook his head, about to demand that Sorey keep going when Sorey tilted his head and started kissing down his neck. Mikleo relaxed, letting whimpers and jumbled words flow freely as Sorey kissed and nuzzled his way down Mikleo’s neck.

He shuddered at the scrape of teeth, the touch jarring something in his mind, but it slipped away as soon as it appeared. There was something about teeth, something about keeping something hidden. But Mikleo didn’t care, especially when Sorey bit down harder. Mikleo arched and gasped, grinding desperately against Sorey.

There were too many layers and Mikleo wanted to feel Sorey’s skin against his. He wanted Sorey’s lips on his neck, his mouth, everywhere. He wanted Sorey’s weight against him, pinning him to the bed and holding him in place. He wanted it all so much that he ached.

Mikleo wasn’t sure what part of his thoughts made it out of his mouth, but Sorey pulled away from. Sorey stared down at him for a moment, his green eyes dark and focused solely on him. He was breathing heavily, held in a moment of suspension, and then he was moving again, crashing down on Mikleo.

Mikleo scrambled to hold him close, rocking their bodies together as Sorey kissed him. The kiss was bruising, but Mikleo didn’t care, he just wanted. Wanted everything that Sorey was giving him and wanted more.

Sorey pulled away too soon for his taste, Mikleo swallowing back a whimper as Sorey began to kiss down his neck in earnest. Ahead of his lips, Sorey’s hands worked with the buttons on his shirt, thumbing them free so he could open the fabric to kiss Mikleo’s skin.

Mikleo groaned, throwing his head back against the pillows. He shifted his other hand to curl his fingers into Sorey’s hair, holding tight a Sorey reached his stomach.

He felt Sorey hesitate there, Mikleo swallowing before tipping his head down.

Sorey was looking up at him with a question in his eyes, but there was no other answer that he could give. Mikleo nodded, letting his head fall back as Sorey continued.

His eyes flittered just as he felt Sorey working the button and zip of his pants. Mikleo’s fingers curled into Sorey’s hair, his gasps mixing with a faint clicking sound.

* * *

Mikleo sat back against his bed, turning the card over in his hands. He flicked it back and forth between the picture side and the back of the card. Each time he lingered a little longer on the back of the card. He stared at the partially filled in diamond, frowning at it. He remembered how Sorey had stared at it with an intense fixation, one that had seemed out of place, and it worried him. There had been too many strange things with Sorey lately. Too many pauses or looks that didn’t seem quiet right.

He flipped the card back to the front, Mikleo staring at the illustration. “Record? What’s that mean?”

Mikleo was used to the cards being vague on what their powers were, it was something done more through feel than anything else. This card was strange, there was potential but it wasn’t giving him any hints. Instead, there was just silence.

He shivered at the thought, remembering what Sorey had said when he had first presented the card to him.

_“I…I can’t feel anything.”_

Mikleo bit his lip, flipping the card between his fingers again. It was the same thing that Edna and Dezel had said. He’d even asked Alisha out of desperation. She may have given up most of her abilities, but there were a few lingering dregs. He hadn’t really been surprised that she hadn’t felt anything, but that left him in a strange position.

 _He_ could feel the cards without a problem. Their presence, their power, their potential. It was just like the Shepherd and Seraph cards. But he seemed to be the exception to the rule. Him and the person who kept appearing in his dreams.

Mikleo shivered, letting his hand fall so the card dropped against his leg. Being in a group with that person didn’t seem like a good thing. There was something about them, something old and threatening. Something hungry.

“Finally.” He jerked his gaze back to Edna, glad for the distraction. Edna pushed away from his laptop, nudging the chair backward until it was halfway between the desk and the bed. Edna gave the door a wary look before giving herself a shake. Her form wavered before she shrunk into a small tabby cat, Edna curling her tail around herself primly.

Mikleo looked up at the computer screen, watching as the green and gold feathers that filled the screen shifted. They fanned out, Dezel giving them a flap before crossing his arms across his chest. His gaze moved from side to side, fixing on both him and Edna even though Dezel’s eyes were clouded over. His gaze lingered longer on Mikleo before he huffed. “Let’s make this quick. Rose has a date in forty minutes and I’m not having her going out looking like a ruffian.”

Edna chuckled, curling up in the chair. “It almost sounds like you care.”

Dezel puffed himself up. “Talk with me again when you have a host.”

Edna conceded the point with a flick of her tail, but Mikleo recognized the look on her face. She would continue to push and tease him until he snapped, and that would guarantee to make Rose late for her date and not give them any information.

He gave Edna a sharp look, sure that she ignored it. Edna just lounged in the chair, Mikleo taking that as a sign that Edna was willing to stay quiet for the moment.

Mikleo held up the card, giving Dezel a serious look. “This is the newest one.”

Dezel leaned forward, staring fixedly at the card before shaking his head. “Nothing.”

“Like the others.” Mikleo, tapped the card against his leg. “What about when it’s active?”

Edna stretched out a paw, flexing her toes. “I haven’t felt anything, but I was only around for a few and quite distracted. Maybe Dezel will have better luck…if he’s not too busy thinking about his makeup.”

Dezel huffed and made an impatient gesture. Mikleo stood up, calling on his staff. He twirled it lazily before tapping it on the card. “Record.”

There was a flash of light and a small metal contraption dropped down onto the floor. Mikleo stared at it, crouching down to lift it onto the desk so Dezel could see it.

Dezel cocked his head to the side, studying the card as Edna jumped up the desk to bat at its wings. The card didn’t move, it just sat there patiently and with expectation.

Mikleo crouched slightly to look at it. The card looked like an old fashioned camera, except with a built in microphone, wings and a quill. He reached out to touch it, sure that he felt the card quiver. He jerked his hand back, looking back at Dezel. “What about now?”

Dezel cocked his head, his eyes closing. The guardian remained like that for a moment before shaking his head. “Nothing.”

“Nothing for me either.” Edna rested a paw on it. “It’s solid enough, but it doesn’t seem to do anything.”

“Maybe it needs an order.” Mikleo brought up his staff and gave the contraption a light tap. There was a soft whir from inside, but the contraption stayed still. He bit his lip, staring at the machine. He had heard it clicking and whirring while he had been trying to catch it, so maybe there was something in that. If it could record, then it probably could replay.

He tapped the top of the machine lightly. “Replay.”

The contraption clattered, the sound making Edna jump behind the laptop. Mikleo felt like he should do the same with the way it seemed to be winding itself up. Then it settled and started showing pictures.

Mikleo turned and stared at the pictures slide by like a slideshow. A shot of the park, a crosswalk, a mother and a child walking along the sidewalk, trees, the clouds. All of them rendered in amazing detail and in three dimensions. Mikleo reached out to touch one of the clouds, surprised when his hand went through it. For a moment, he had thought it was real.

He turned away from the images when Dezel hummed. Dezel seemed to be staring through the pictures, but the set of his head meant that he was paying more attention to the sounds Record was making. “Interesting, but how do we use it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe-” Mikleo cut himself off as Record rattled. The machine quivered for a bit, gears on the inside clicking. The images that it had been showing flickered to. The rattling and clicking continued for a moment before the rate that the light flickered out of the lens of the machine changed.

There was a moment where it flickered and didn’t show anything. Then the sound kicked on, Mikleo jumping at the loud burst of static that came out of Record. The static lasted for a few seconds more before it was replaced by a long, drawn out moan.

Mikleo froze at the sound of his own voice, his eyes widening as the image finally cut in, Record projecting it over the bed. Mikleo stared at the bodies writhing on the bed, heat rising in his neck and cheeks. It took another moan for him to jump into action.

He twisted, pointing the staff at Record. “Stop! Erase!”

Record wheezed and whirred. The image of him and Sorey flickered out and then there was a steady, single tone. The lens flashed light twice before Record clunked to a stop, the machine going still on the desk.

Mikleo stared at it before recalling the card, but he let it lie on the desk. He could still feel the heat on his neck and his cheeks, and he didn’t dare look up at the two guardians.

The silence stretched on, Mikleo wanting to sink into himself or to crawl under his covers and hide.

Dezel was the one to break it, the guardian grunting. “I didn’t need to hear that.”

Mikleo glanced up, getting a glimpse of Dezel’s face before the guardian dropped the call. He swallowed and looked over at Edna, watching as the cat wandered over to him.

Edna sat on the edge of the desk, staring at him for a moment before reaching out to paw at his cheek. “You’re human and young.”

It was the closest that Edna would get to comfort, and he was grateful for it. He reached out to scratch her head, giving her a smile. “Thank you, Edna.”

She nodded and then hopped off the desk. Edna strolled to the door, nudging it open. She paused halfway into the hallway, Mikleo watching as she back into the room again.

Edna gave him a serious look, her tail flicking. “But no more sex tapes, Blushleo.”

Mikleo squeaked, listening to Edna chuckled to herself as she sauntered out of the room. He stared at the empty space where she had been before pressing his forehead to his staff and sinking to the floor with a groan.


End file.
